Filled-carton-sealing machine



Nov. 23 1926.

W. D. KIMBALL ET AL FILLED CARTON SEALING MACHINE Filed `May 9, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 23 1926.

W. D. KIMBALLET AL FILLED CARTON SEALING MACHINE Filed May 9, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet QA/@M 6.

M @www Patented Nov. 23, 1926. l UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

WALLACE D. KIMBALL AND ARTHUR E. RIDEOUT, F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO STANDARD SEALING EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COR- PORATION OF NEW YORK.

FILLED-CARTON-SEALING MACHINE.

Application med May 9,

The present invention relates to apparatus for sealing filled cartons.

Fiber board cartons whose fla s are sealed by a coating of silicate or simi ar material have been found to be fully equal or superior to wood boxes when used for the shipment of merchandise, such as canned goods, soap or the like, if properly sealed, and are of materially lower cost. The fiber board which may be made by building up layers of ply wood, ship boardfor other light material and applying silicate between successive layers, has proven to be extremely tough and possessed of wear-resisting qualilies which adapt it particularly to the rough usage encountered during 4the shipment of the goods.

The sealing of the carton` flaps by the application of a coating of silicate has been found yto be the most successful means of securing' a carton which will successfully withstand the shocks received in shipment. If, a dependable point is formed between the fiaps thus sealed, the end of the carton will become substantially a single unified structure. It is common to accomplish this seal' ing process by'applying a layer of silicate and then placing a weight on the carton to hold the ,flaps in place until the silicate has set. This method is, however, open to the objection that it is practically impossible to obtain by this means a uniformly 4distributed pressure over the silicated surfaces, and-the further danger of crushing down the edges of the carton. Ad-

ditionally this method of sealing is slowv and tedious and the output of any one operator is necessarily small.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide' an apparatus-for sealing filled cartons such thatwthe sealed portions of the carton assume a substantially unified structure throughout, the sealed joint being of strength comparable with the strengh of the carton material.

It is also an object of the -invention to provide an apparatus of this type such that a uniform pressure may be applied to all portions ofthe silicated surfaces without, however, subjecting the edges of the cartonto a pressure likely to crush down the corners.

It is a further object to provide a carton sealing apparatus of the above type of small capacity and low cost, butk at the same time 1922. Serial N0. 559,616.

of such constnction that cartons may be sealed in as satisfactory and convenient a manner as is possible with apparatus of much "greater bulk and cost.

It is a still further object tol provide an apparatus of this type in which the motions of the operator are reduced to a minimum in the sealing of a carton, and which may furthermore be easily and conveniently adapted to receive cartons of Widely different dimensions. 4

The` apparatus herein disclosed is particularly applicable for use in smaller plants whose output does not justify employment of labor for the sole purpose of sealing the filled cartons, but where the same man is employed to both pack and seal the cartons. It comprises means whereby the worker, after having filled .the cartons, may place them upon the machine and with a `single motion subject them to the required pressure for holding the fiaps in place until the silicate has set. The carton then remains under this pressure until another is ready for introduction into the machine, at which time a single movement of the worker both discharges the sealed carton and introduces a fresh one.

Ve have illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of a filled carton sealing machine embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 illustrates a. carton in the unsealed condition.

Referring toA said drawings, our improved apparatus comprises a supporting frame connected by means of the cross pieces 4, and

their overhanging ends are supported on pedestal purpose. The legs 1 and pedestal 5 are preferably prov1ded `with enlarged feet, as

or a vbracket 5 provided for the shown\at'6, for supporting the apparatus as a base plate being required.

Upon the cross pieces 4 and extending transversely of their length there is mounted a roller table which comprises 'two longitudinal angle irons 7, spaced apart by means of cross pieces 8 and secured to the frame by a through bolt 9. A number of rollers 10, uniform in size, are mounted transverselyfor rotation in the member 7, the rollers being placed in close succession with their upper surfaces at Athe same level. This roller table constitutes a support for the carton being sealed and pcrmlts a carton or yother body to be easily pushed into place in the machine. The rollers, beingsmall and closely grouped, will exert a substantially univ form pressure along the bottom of the carton. Guide strips 11 are placed parallel to the members 7 ofthe roller table and are -mounled on screw shafts 12 which permit of transverse adJustment to accommodatecartons of different widths. y

From the cross bar 2, which is at a considerable height above the carton being sealed,

-is suspended a pressing mechanism adapted to seal the top iiaps of the carton.- This mechanism comprises essentially a series of transversely positioned rollers 13, similar to lower rollers 10, and an endless belt Surrounding the rollers.. This belt has a small amount of slack, is of appreciable thickness, and of width less than that of the carton .to be pressed. The shafts of rollers 13 are supported at their ends by means of hangers 14 having upwardly projecting arms which pass through holes in the opposite flanges of channel -bars 15, which channels extend in the direction of movement of the carton through the machine.

The channels are suspended from the up-V percmm bar 2 by means of threaded rod 16 whlch 1s screwed at its upper end into a bracket 17 provided for that purpose, and

carries at its lower end` an arch 18 whose opposite ends are attached to the'channel 15. The connection between the arch 18 and screw 16 is a fioat-ing joint which permits the arch to be tilted to a limited extent and thus `equalize the pressure on the rollers evelr though there be irregularities in the carton surface. An upper guide 19 may also be provided it being supported by an arm 20 attached to one of the channel members 15. The guide is mounted on a screw shaft 21 to permit of transverse adjust-ment.

Each of the hangers 14 is provided with a separate pressure spring 22, the sprin s preferably Vbeing placed between the wals of the channels l5 and workiner against co1- lars 23 attached to the stems o? the hangers.

' The machine may be adjusted to receive cari -.1,sos,21r

the belt 24 liesslightly below the top of the carton to beV sealed, whereby the passage of the carton under the rollers raises them slightly against the pressure of their springs. .The belt 24 is preferably of an elastic material `of appreciable thickness, and is narrower than the carton being sealed.. This feature enables a uniform pressure to be applied along the entire length of the flap, and at the same time prevents the rollers from coming into contact with the carton and'crushing down its edges. A suilicient amount of slack'is provi-ded in the belt to permit a slight relative movement. .of the various rollers in conformity to the irregularities inthe surface of the carton.

In the use of our improved scaling machine, the carton is lirst filled, placed upon the rollers 10, and pushed under the pressing belt 24. The belt engages the top of the carton and moves along over the rollers 13 as the carton is pushed into the machine, thecontacting surface of the belt remaining stationary relative to the carton. The rollers on the lower roller table exert a substantially uniform upward .pressure along the length of the lower flaps, the weight of the carton 'and its'contents in addition to the pressure exerted by the upper rollers being suiiicient to insure al proper joint. The lower roller table may be provided with a pressure belt in the same manner as the upper rollers, and the lower rollers may be mounted in channel members and with spring supports in the same manner as the upper rollers, if desired. Wvo have found, howevergthat the apparatus as illustrated in the dra-wings gives satisfactory service, and as its expense is considerably less than that of a device'in Awhich the lower roller table is provided with spring supports and a presser belt, it will be found most desirable in ordinary installations. The carton is allowedto remain in the machine, and the flaps of a second carton are silicated, after which the second carton is inserted into the other pressing element of the machine. A third carton is now prepared Aand placed upon the rollers -10 of the element containings' the first carton. A single forward movement of the third carton will serve to insert it under the 'pressing element and at the same time discharge thexfirst carton, which by this time is thoroughly sealed. A discharge table or chute of any desired type is preferably provided to receive the sealed cartons vissuing from the machine If one worker is performing both the op- .i

eration of lling the cartons and. sealing each worker utilizing one of the elements. The apparatus may also be built as a, unit containing only one pressure element, in which case it would be applicable to a plant whose output may be handled' continuously by a single worker performing both the packing and sealing operations.

The specific embodiment of our invention may be carried out in a number of ways, as for instance the number of pressing elements employed, the use or omission of a pressing belt on the lower rollers, a spring support for the lower rollers, and the like. Accordingly our invention is not limited to the particular structure disclosed in the accompanying drawings, 'but may be varied within the full scope of the appended claim.

An apparatus for use in sealing cartons comprising a continuous worktable of a length equal to that of two cartons to be sealed, a pressure unit overlying a portion of said worktable at one end thereof leaving the other end of the worktable free to support the carton during the manual closing and sealing of its Ilapsp said pressure unit comprising a lurality 0f pressure-applying members yiel ingly supported above said table, means for maintaining the pressure on said members, said members being spaced from said table to be raised by said carton when shifted along said table from one' end to the other, -whereby' the movement of` a sealed carton into position under said pressure unit ejects the previously sealed carton therefrom.

In testimony whereof we aiix' our signatures.

AWALLACE D. KIMBALL. RIDEOUT. 

